Little_Flatty Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Tides looked good for a Meadowbank session this morning, so I popped out to the water before sunrise. Been in the mood to try something new lately, so every few sessions I've been upping my lure size by 1 inch. I have a mental block about big lures, I seem to feel that I would catch more fish on smaller lures. My fixation on small lures goes back all the way to the beginning of my fishing career when I really wanted to get a bream on lures. The smaller the better. Of course that isn’t true, as my baby-snapper-plagued aji lure sessions showed. I thought the time was nigh to challenge my long held assumptions. My usual lure is a 3 inch jerk bait of any kind (lately it's been gulp), so I tried a 4 inch, which has produced for me in the last few sessions. This morning I upped it to 5 inch. In the first casts, I got a decent hit straight away but missed it. Then a few casts later, I had a flathead surprise me right at my feet, grabbing the lure before disappearing down to the bottom again. Good sign, looks like fish will still attack the bigger lures. I dropped the lure down at my feet and swooshed it around, then he came back for another go. This time the hooks connected, but on such a short leash, the flatty managed to shake free. I think that frightened it off, or maybe it thought that that piece of Nuclear-Chicken-coloured food was too hard work.🤣 The swooshing the lure at your feet is a new thing I’ve learned. It seems to work! I’ve noticed the flatty hits have changed this season as compared to last summer. Don’t know why. Last year I felt a really clear ‘thunk’ at the end of the line, after which I would strike and feel the fish. This year I feel nothing, just all of a sudden there’s a fish on the end of my line. Either that or they actually launch out and attack the lure. Either way, the hookups seem more tenuous than before. I noticed this first in Karuah on my recent holidays, but it is interesting this is happening on my home grounds as well, with familiar fish. Nothing has changed with my technique, tackle or lure choice (this has also been happening on my usual lures as well as the bigger ones). I also suspect no change in fishing pressure, at least for my local waters anyway. Anyone else notice changes in fish behaviour like this between seasons? Long story short, I missed a few more hits before needing to come home and get ready for work. Not sure if the lure was too big for the fish. I’ll give it some more goes to find out! 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bessell1955 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 A very interesting story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 Great report. The Meadowbank flatties are use to you. They see you coming. Here is a guy with his 100 lures, we will have some fun with him. Hence the Donuts. Take the jam next time & put it on the lures not on the donuts. Cheers. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 Adding a stinger hook will improve your hookup rate on 5” plastics, the trade off is they can harm fish that take the whole lure if you’re intending to release them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 A bit of experimenting is a good thing! We’re always learning. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 You will get fat eating Donuts. 😂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaxland Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 I too like smaller lures I think because I did most of my fishing in the harbor. But fishing inshore I have caught 6" flaties on 5 " lures. Still learning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefin Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 I fish mainly for flathead. They are interesting, they have moods ! I often wonder if it depends on how full they are ? They often land on the lure, to slow it down ? then engulf it when it moves, Sometimes getting hooked under the jaw. ( hardbody trebles). 78 cm on 3 lb line this way for me ! How many times do they spit it out ? Playing with it. Smaller lures help. I have never used a stinger. I find them fascinating! Nothing better on the table ! My opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R E G I C Y C L E Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 52 minutes ago, Yowie said: You will get fat eating Donuts. 😂 This kind of donut is easy to find and usually cheap, but not very filling. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 ….here’s another theory…. they’re getting smarter… the Darwinism process. The ones that went “thump” are all gone as are their offspring. The ones that are left were the more cautious, subtle feeders that were less likely to hook up …. cheers Zoran 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted February 3, 2023 Author Share Posted February 3, 2023 21 hours ago, bessell1955 said: A very interesting story. Thanks Bessell 18 hours ago, Rebel said: Great report. The Meadowbank flatties are use to you. They see you coming. Here is a guy with his 100 lures, we will have some fun with him. Hence the Donuts. Take the jam next time & put it on the lures not on the donuts. Cheers. 🤣 Love it Rebel! Except I really only have about two or three lures that I really use. 17 hours ago, Green Hornet said: Adding a stinger hook will improve your hookup rate on 5” plastics, the trade off is they can harm fish that take the whole lure if you’re intending to release them. Thanks Pete. I'm fishing weedless at the moment and all fish are destined for release. I wonder if I could rig a smaller EWG hook as a stinger in the tail. Food for thought, I think it might work 🤔 15 hours ago, Larkin said: A bit of experimenting is a good thing! We’re always learning. Certainly is @Larkin! 10 hours ago, blaxland said: I too like smaller lures I think because I did most of my fishing in the harbor. But fishing inshore I have caught 6" flaties on 5 " lures. Still learning Yeah I remember when I was up at Fraser Island, I was using 5 inch plastics and every second hookup was a bream! 9 hours ago, bluefin said: I fish mainly for flathead. They are interesting, they have moods ! I often wonder if it depends on how full they are ? They often land on the lure, to slow it down ? then engulf it when it moves, Sometimes getting hooked under the jaw. ( hardbody trebles). 78 cm on 3 lb line this way for me ! How many times do they spit it out ? Playing with it. Smaller lures help. I have never used a stinger. I find them fascinating! Nothing better on the table ! My opinion. It could be. A week or so ago there was a lot of bait around. No food spat out though (but I did see this when I was up your way). A 78cm flathead is heart in mouth stuff! 9 hours ago, R E G I C Y C L E said: This kind of donut is easy to find and usually cheap, but not very filling. I have read that ultramarathon mountain bikers like donuts because they have the highest calories per dollar! When you need as many calories as they do, cost starts to become a consideration! 37 minutes ago, zmk1962 said: ….here’s another theory…. they’re getting smarter… the Darwinism process. The ones that went “thump” are all gone as are their offspring. The ones that are left were the more cautious, subtle feeders that were less likely to hook up …. cheers Zoran It's not a silly theory Zoran. A very large proportion of the population was killed off last year with the Parra fish kills. It could be younger fish that have repopulated the area. That said, I did catch a flathead in Clontarf late last year that did still go 'thunk'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishero Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 Great story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabySnapperKiller Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 Nice story and good experiment. I was on params last Wednesday around 8:30am near Medowbank, tide was pretty high and I just caught my first flathead using Lure, 45cm! Catch and release. I was using the 2.5 Berkerly T tait and slow retrieving. I am picking it up! Perhaps I will see you someday in the morning! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted February 5, 2023 Author Share Posted February 5, 2023 Nice work @Mr.Wang! The first is always the hardest. Was that past the bridge near the park? I know that sandstone well 🤣 8.30am is too gentlemanly an hour for me 🤣. But if you can wake up early, send me a PM and we might be able to tee up a session sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabySnapperKiller Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 3 hours ago, Little_Flatty said: Was that past the bridge near the park? I know that sandstone well 🤣 Yeah that's it! You know every piece of the standstone there! Yeah I can get up earlier, weather looks not promising this upcoming week, I will PM you on your availability Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 5 hours ago, Little_Flatty said: 8.30am is too gentlemanly an hour for me 🤣. That is the time to be heading home. 😂 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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